Cannabis scratch and sniff cards handed out

Cannabis scratch and sniff cards are being handed out by the police in England and Wales.

The idea of the scratch and sniff cards is to educate the public about the smell of cannabis. There are many illegal cannabis farms around the country and it is hoped that by handing out the scratch and sniff cards, people will be more aware of the smell and will call the police if they suspect an illegal cannabis farm is in their area.
Houses in residential areas are used to produce the cannabis, electricity is often diverted illegally to power the lights and the owners of cannabis farms are often involved in other illegal activities.

The Mirror online stated that, according to figures from the UK Human Trafficking Centre, in 2012 around a fifth of human trafficking victims thought to have been criminally exploited were forced to get involved in growing cannabis. Most of those, 81%, were children.